Tool cut by almost 20% to focus on issues most critical to health care

purchasers; ProposalTech selected as new survey vendor

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the National Business
Coalition on Health (NBCH), a non-profit organization of employer-based
health coalitions, released its 2008 eValue8(TM) Common Request for
Information (RFI), an annual tool used by health care purchasers to compare
the quality and efficiency of America's health plans. eValue8 is the
nation's leading standardized RFI tool used by employers and coalitions to
gather health care data from nearly 200 health plans and health insurers.
Over 100 million Americans, or one in every three Americans, are members of
health plans that respond to eValue8.

"Employers want to know what resources health plans deliver to help
employees maintain or improve their health," said Mary Bradley, director of
health care planning for Pitney Bowes. "eValue8 continues to reflect the
most important consensus issues of the nation's employers, including asking
plans about critical value based benefit designs."

New this year

A new survey vendor, ProposalTech, which creates software to manage
RFIs and analyze results, has been selected to create an easier, more
efficient process for health plans to submit data and enable purchasers to
better understand their responses. As a result of this new platform, health
plans can spend less time on the process and concentrate on providing
better, more comprehensive information to employers.

Additionally, the eValue8 tool has been reduced by almost 20 percent to
target the most critical questions employers have as purchasers and reflect
the most important emerging health issues. Used to assess plan performance,
negotiate contracting provisions and collaborate on programs to improve
treatment of costly chronic health conditions such as diabetes, back pain
and cardiovascular disease, the 2008 eValue8 RFI asks health plans how they
manage providers and provide consumers with critical information on
physician quality. Through eValue8, health plans provide details on how
they support their members in navigating the health care system and manage
pharmaceuticals - including how plans support consumers to follow
prevention guidelines and take their medicine as prescribed.

Also new in 2008, eValue8 includes a section on total population health
management - defined as a program that encompasses the interventions for
the full range of at risk chronic and acute conditions with a focus on
prevention, risk reduction, and self-care. The RFI will also survey issues
around the medical home and promotion of appropriate minimally invasive
surgery.

Expanded use of eValue8

The use of eValue8 continues to expand. For 2008, there are 20 employer
purchasing coalitions participating, including two new coalitions - the
Employers Health Purchasing Corporation of Ohio and the Puget Sound Health
Alliance. Additionally, many of the largest private sector purchasers of

health care in the country use eValue8 including General Motors,
Marriott, Pitney Bowes and 3M.

"With a national RFI tool such as eValue8, health plans can validate
that they are working in the right direction to meet the needs and
expectations of employers," said Charles M. Cutler, MD, chief medical
director of National Accounts for Aetna. "The tool also provides a
framework for discussions between plans and employers or business
coalitions about the health plans' current and future programs and
activities."

About the National Business Coalition on Health and eValue8

Celebrating 15 years of value based purchasing, NBCH is a national,
non- profit, membership organization of nearly 70 employer-based health
care coalitions, representing over 7,000 employers and 34 million employees
and their dependents across the United States. NBCH and its members are
dedicated to value based purchasing of health care services through the
collective action of public and private purchasers. eValue8(TM) is a
product of the National Business Coalition on Health and is the nation's
leading evidence- based request for information (RFI) tool used by
coalitions and major employers to assess and manage the quality of their
health care vendors. For additional information visit http://www.nbch.org.

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